Being Superman is hard

• From the trailer alone, I could already sense that this was going to be a serious movie. From the voice over to the slow-motion shots, it was all so unnecessarily dramatic.
• There's such palpable pall cast over this entire film, from the script down to the actors, that no one was allowed to make a joke, save for a police officer in the last 10 minutes of the film.
• Everyone is so gaddamn grim and serious. Even serious journalist Lois Lane (Amy Adams) just had to make it known that she is a Pulitzer winner, as if the other Lois Lanes in the Superman franchise had a BA degree in lipstick, minor in miniskirts.
• Even Superman (Henry Cavill) is not happy because he is not allowed to use his powers, because his dad told him so.
• <sarcasm>There is so much to feel sorry for Superman; my heart goes out to him. :-( </sarcasm>
• It was depressing. The world has Superman and all the filmmakers could focus on--pessimistically--was the weight of such a 'problem' -- how a child could possibly process, much more, bear such responsibility; how governments could trust one man having alien powers*. This is a fantasy movie--if we really are going to take everything so seriously, deal with existential problems, and take an academic approach to Superman, etc. then WHY MAKE HIM WEAR A CAPE? (Though I won't be surprised if the DVD extra does include a feature on the science behind the cape.)
• In an attempt to humanize Superman, we get this convoluted prologue and epilogue (the movie felt that long), and everyone is explaining everything in detail, even the science behind science fiction, and so I look at my watch.
• In a few words: This movie is trying hard to be Dark Knight/Watchmen, which is ironic since the men responsible for those movies are both involved in this one.
• I will ascribe this to birth pains and pressure. The sequel should give them more freedom since they won't have to explain Superman's back story any longer.
• On a positive note, the fight scenes were what it would probably look like if superheroes did fight.
• Also, Superman is hot. And I like it how he doesn't even seem to be aware of it.
• By the way, no need to splurge on 3D or IMAX - the 3D effects were not that heavy.

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*Recent film portrayals of Spiderman and Batman also gave credence to these issues but they worked--I felt sorry for them.

A few, basic pointers for job applicants

I've been interviewing people for more than a month now. To applicants, kindly consider the following tips:

• Apologize for being late, even if it's just for one minute. I can understand if you woke up late or got stuck in traffic or in the elevator, had a mini accident with your heels or shirt, makeup or whatever—I will understand it—but please say sorry. 

• On that note, please don't be late. Not everyone can be as accommodating. 

• Please stand up when the interviewer enters the room, even if you're female. I even read somewhere that you're not supposed to sit down until the interviewer arrives but I think that's too much. 

• If you know the job entails working with different nationalities, please try to speak English even if you think you're bad at it—I don't mind, unless of course it is part of the job requirement (e.g., editorial). The nationalities you will be working with probably aren't that well-versed in English too, especially if it's not their first language. 

• Brush your hair. Look neat and pristine. 

• At one point in the interview, I purposely stay silent for a long, long time. I'd like to see if you'll take the moment to further assert your qualifications. 

• If you're applying for a leadership role, you'd want to be assertive. 

• It's a thin line between grit and arrogance. I can't help on this. 

• For the love of Charice, please don't reply "wala lang" to any question. Ever. 

• Also don't say "malibog" when you're asked about how you think your friends will describe you*. It makes for a memorable interview, but for the wrong reason.

• An interview should also be a conversation. Do ask professional questions; they should help you determine the attractiveness of the job and company you're applying for/in.

These 'small' details may matter if it all else ends up equal between you and another candidate.



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*Yes, this happened. He had an extremely nice build and he was  wet from the rain. He's now working with us. I kid, I kid!!!

Film: Bill Cunningham New York

Bill Cunningham, the fashion photographer of The New York Times, is a genuinely nice person. He has good manners and is very pleasant with the people he encounters—there is no mean bone in his body. Hence, together with testimonials from his friends, the documentary is generally a cheery and feel-good film, at least until he had to confront questions about his sexuality and religion.

 

Excerpt from Bill Cunnigham New York.

Earlier in the film, when he was asked about his family, he described his parents as Catholic, a qualification which I found interesting for him to have used. (An alarm goes off in my head whenever I read or hear the word; I basically gird myself.) And although the clip above is just an excerpt of about 4 minutes on the subject, the filmmakers have decided to let Mr. Cunningham’s short answers and silence speak for themselves.

Film: The Great Gatsby

Having just 'read' The Great Gatsby a couple of hours before the movie (it was an audio book valiantly interpreted by Jake Gyllenhaal), the story's details were still fresh in my otherwise horrible memory when the scenes played out in front of me, this time as interpreted by Baz Luhrmann. (I think that sentence is a Dan Brown in the making.)



The book's plot is a little thin to begin with—it's only about four hours long, and you can more or less, sum it up in one page, with much of the action happening at the end. I'm impressed Luhrmann was able to make a two-hour movie out of it without making it a snoozefest, although the white expat in front of me did sleep pretty much the entire film.

The director was faithful to the plot of the movie, but as to the interpretation, I wasn't sure. The film opened with captivatingly elegant scenes, especially in the introduction of Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) and Jordan Baker (Elizabeth Debicki), with white flowing curtains fluttering in the air as if the narrator, Nick Carraway, had just arrived in heaven. (I expected much more... heft from Tom Buchanan, played by Joel Edgerton, but there were winning moments, such as in the emotionally charged scene at the garage.)

What I found jarring was when Luhrmann, with his signature Moulin Rouge style, began introducing contemporary pop culture to the material, starting with the soundtrack, then later, with abandoned kitsch. In interviews, the director said this was meant to evoke the excessively lavish lifestyle of the rich and greedy, but--I don't know if it was special effects—they all looked like caricatures than real persons. The mansion's lights were too harsh and fake, and the fountains were ridiculous—Gatsby out-Disneyland Disneyland itself.

There was a time it did work: when Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), like a forlorn schoolboy lover, was about to meet Daisy for the first time. That was kitsch made right.

However, by the end, when all the film could rely on were words that, in the book from which it was based on, conveyed the sighs and yearning of a despondent man—no parties, or fountains, or mansions, and glittering dresses—Luhrmann ended up literally writing the words from the novel onscreen.

The message, it seemed, was that the book is best left as is.


Rating: 6/10

Coffee Prince

After many, many years, I've finally resumed watching Coffee Prince.

It does not disappoint, lol.

* * * *

It is also with deep sadness that I learned of Masaki Koh's death. If you don't know Masaki, that's probably good news.

Cibo's Patate Pencetta

Patate Pencetta (mozarella, potatoes, slab bacon)

One of Tatin's and my order from Cibo. Two slices and we were done—not because it wasn’t good (it was!) but because it was very filling. She liked the smokey taste, while I raved over how you could practically taste the bacon on the entire dough itself. (Though the potato does seem redundant.)

Also, it’s beautiful, as were the waiters, lol.

The seven-minute workout

NYT: The Scientific Seven-Minute Workout

The first time I saw the chart and the rules—30 seconds for each exercise with a 10-second break in between—I scoffed at it. "How is this even a workout?" Nevertheless, I went ahead and tried it, even telling myself I'd increase the duration to about 45 seconds per exercise.

The first in the series—jumping jack—was fine, but on the second (wall sit), I found myself in agony after the first 10 seconds; 30 seemed like a lifetime. And with little rest in between—not enough for me to catch my breath—I collapsed by the time I got to the 10th exercise, leaving me unable to complete the last two.

I failed.

I'm not exactly a fan of cardio because I'd like to put on more weight, but I've noted that I haven't been unable to progress with my push-ups program (www.hundredpushups.com) because the advanced levels are starting to wear me out. After a week of the seven-minute workout (SMW), I've improved my push-up record for three consecutive workout days mainly because I am now able to squeeze in a few more reps:

Note the huge jump in my last three stats—that's when I started doing SMW. Prior to that, although my record was improving, I couldn't get past 100. (What I do is perform my push-up and the SMW program on alternate days.)

And I haven't even been able to complete SMW yet. Even if I'm completely rested, I'm having trouble with the last exercise, the side plank (I collapse within 5 seconds). I also cheat by slowing down on some of the exercises (According to the NYT article, "the intensity [should hover] at about an 8 on a discomfort scale of 1 to 10"), so I find the program very challenging—there's still so much for me to work on.

Try it! Visit Lifehacker for videos showing the proper form for each exercise. And here's a web app that time your entire routine, including the rest intervals—it's like having your own drill sergeant!